For the past month or so I've been telling anyone that will listen that jparks and I are becoming a one car family at the end of May. While it might have seemed like I was bragging because I am so green with my one car and you're not, you Earth killer, really I was just trying to get myself excited about the idea of sharing a car, which is something I have never had to do before. Because I am a spoiled brat I got my own car at 15 and have had my own car since then. Throughout our relationship jparks and I have each had our own cars and we've never had to plan ahead to make sure the other person has transportation. So basically having one car is going to be quite the lifestyle change for us and that change is finally here.
Up until yesterday I was pretty okay with the idea of having one car. The lease was ending on my car in May and in February, when we made the decision to only have one car, that was hella far away. Tonight my car goes back to the dealership and we attempt to walk away without Volvo pushing another car on us. I think it's safe to say that I would be the easy sell on a new car and jparks might actually end up being the sensible one in this situation. My plan is to bring a book and stick my nose in it, only looking up to explain why my rims are scraped to the point of unrecognizable (I love nothing more than running them into curbs) and to sign the paperwork.
While I would like to claim we are dropping one car to be more environmentally friendly, the truth is that since getting laid off we've been looking for small ways to spend less and ditching a car seems like the easiest way to go. We're also not saying that we will never again have two cars because honestly I think this can only last so long before one of us (read as me) loses their mind trying to juggle our schedules. My goal is to make it until January with one car and if I haven't lost my mind by then, we'll reassess and try to continue for a few more months. If I have lost my mind, we'll start the debate over what kind of car to get. That's when everyone will see that I'm not really the spoiled brat in this house, and that jparks, Mr. I Want A Tesla, is and all will be right in the world again.
When JB and I moved to Santa Fe from Manhattan 7 years ago (quick sob for the life we left behind), we bought one car. We commuted into town from our slightly more rural location (a 25 minute drive) every day. It was fine. Easy, even.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest time was when the car was in the shop because we had no other transportation to rely on. But that was infrequent.
You'll be fine. And if you're not, then you can fix it.
Mike and I have been a one car family off and on from the start of our relationship. Sometimes it SUCKS! Sometimes we saved money bc I can't get out of the house during the day bc I was too lazy to drive him to work. Sometimes I was stuck at UNO for HOURS waiting to be picked up. And sometimes our schedules worked. Any which way it is no fun BUT it is doable for a few months. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteI work with a girl who is in a 1 car relationship. We work in the state capitol, which is 45 effing minutes from Portland, and she takes the car every day. Amazingly, they make it work.
ReplyDeleteI think that jason is single handedly trying to pull us all out of the recession. I say YAY! Let him get the car! Though his spending the value of my house will go back to what it was!
ReplyDeletehee hee...
Adam and I lived one car-ed for a couple of months, and we lived downtown MV, and we still broke down and bought Maggie car. You're brave! You can do it! I'm sure there are plenty of people around who can drive you places if need be.
The good thing is that after Cletus the Fetus comes, you probably won't want to leave the house much with him at first. So this could work, for a period of time.
ReplyDeleteI live in a city and I really don't need a car. I can take public transportation anywhere I need to. But I just can't give up the car for those lazy days when I want to sleep in and drive to work and go to Target on the way home.
I think you can totally manage on one car. Just remember that the person who is sitting in an office is not the person who needs the car. The one who is running around trying to manage a household and a kid and keep everyone fed and happy is the one who needs the car. We've basically been a one car family since mid January and it's worked out just fine, both in Sydney and here in MV.
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